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Behind the Budget: The Education Program Examiners

Listen to staffers from across the Office of Management and Budget discuss the aspects of the budget process that most Americans don't get to see.

"Behind the Budget" is a series of posts featuring audio stories from staffers from across the Office of Management and Budget, discussing aspects of the budget process that most Americans don't get to see.

Tucked away in a series of offices in the New Executive Office Building are a group of program examiners who have been helping to develop the budget for months. That means wrangling and sorting through the many ideas brought to the table -- from agencies, from other White House offices, and from the Office of Management and Budget itself. A key part of this year's budget is the investments in both higher and early education. Listen to two examiners in this area describe their role in the budget process.

Meet Erin O'Brien, Program Examiner for Student Aid Programs.

"The student aid programs obviously are a huge part of how American families pay for college, and in the budget process, we're working on proposals that make those programs work well, and make sure that more Americans graduate and succeed."

"We wanted to build off the success of the preschool development grants program, which recently awarded 18 grants to help states build and expand their preschool programs -- and we knew the evidence supporting the effectiveness of preschool was strong.

The President's Fiscal Year 2016 Budget will be released on Monday, February 2. Take a look at our enhanced State of the Union Address to see him lay out a lot of key investments it will include.